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Bruce Lock & Fold engineered hardwood?

115K views 102 replies 47 participants last post by  bita 
#1 ·
:thumbsup: Has anyone used this yet? We are considering it for the master bedroom. It seems to be easy to install like laminate, but has the high quality of real wood. I'm just looking for opinions and suggestions on this. Lowes is having a 20% off sale on special order flooring. Thanks!
 
#34 ·
Anyone have a suggestion for 45-degree trim cuts

Well, I am pretty much done. Updated photos are here: http://picasaweb.google.com/rdannenberg/BruceLockFoldFloatingHardwoodFloorInstallation.

The only thing left is to put down the 1/4 round trim pieces, but I am having a heck of a time figuring out how to accurately and safely cut the pieces. None of my equipment seems to do the trick. Anyone have any suggestions?

As for making sure the room was flat, I was lucky, it was flat. I fairly confident it would be because it is a first floor room on the concrete slab. Builders are generally pretty good about making sure the slab is flat and level, not to mention that hardwoods were a builder's option when this place was built in 2001, so I knew the floor must have been prepped for it in case we ordered them from the start.

I'll post more photos once I get the 1/4 round trim in place. That might be a few weeks though.
 
#36 ·
Well, I am pretty much done. Updated photos are here: http://picasaweb.google.com/rdannenberg/BruceLockFoldFloatingHardwoodFloorInstallation.

The only thing left is to put down the 1/4 round trim pieces, but I am having a heck of a time figuring out how to accurately and safely cut the pieces. None of my equipment seems to do the trick. Anyone have any suggestions?

As for making sure the room was flat, I was lucky, it was flat. I fairly confident it would be because it is a first floor room on the concrete slab. Builders are generally pretty good about making sure the slab is flat and level, not to mention that hardwoods were a builder's option when this place was built in 2001, so I knew the floor must have been prepped for it in case we ordered them from the start.

I'll post more photos once I get the 1/4 round trim in place. That might be a few weeks though.
Looks good. I just completed another room and it came out much much better than the first room i did. I spent a lot of time measuring the flatness and it payed off to correct any problems. I used 30# roof felt. I'm wondering if it necessarily has to be roof felt and maybe not something else? Just a thought.
 
#37 ·
I'm getting ready to install the lock and fold hardwood on my first floor. I live in a townhouse and the joists run front to back. that is the way i wanted to run the floor, but i understand hardwood should be installed perpendicular to the joists. Anyone have any thoughts on running the hard wood the same way as the joists?
 
#39 ·
In theory I disagree, although I have no data to back me up. As long as the plywood does not sag between joists, then you should be ok. But if the wood underlayer ever starts to sag, then it will be much more noticeable on a floor installed parallel to the joists than on a floor installed perpendicular to the joists.

Incidentally, I also have a townhouse, and our builder installed all the hardwoods perpendicular to the joists. The joists run from the front to the back of the house, so the hardwoods run from one side wall to the other. Looks great. The hardwoods I just installed I installed the same way, as can be seen in the photos I posted (link is provided in previous post).
 
#40 ·
I'm Done!

Ok, I bought a $20 miter box/saw kit (but I bought it from Home Depot) that I bolted temporarily to my workbench in the garage. Worked like a charm, even for the 45-degree wall which required 67.5-degree cuts on the trim. Once all the trim was cut, all that was left was attach the trim to the baseboards. Luckily, my stepfather has a nailgun (for finishing brads) that I was able to use on the trim, and the nailing took all of about 10 minutes for the one room. Then I had to reattach the T-mold over the doorjam, because that GE silicon stuff was crap. It moved a lot, and didn't keep the floor from springing up. So I reattached the T-mold in the doorjam using Gorilla Glue. LOVE THAT STUFF. Solid as a rock now. Its never coming up though...

The room looks great. No new photos, 'cuz they won't add too much to the previously posted ones. All in all, I am a fan of the Bruce Lock & Fold. For those deciding whether or not to use it, go for it. Don't expect it to look like $10K hardwood flooring, but it certainly looks great.

As I mentioned before, the indispensable items I would have been pulling my hair out without, were the rubber mallet to tap the wood in place, vinyl gloves to keep from getting splinters (you are handling wood, after all), and the gorilla glue to attach the wood T-molding to the concrete floor.

Good luck everyone.
 
#41 ·
photos showing scribing

I viewed all of your pictures on Picasso. Please explain to me how you scribe the last row of lock n fold flooring. I couldn't understand the picture. I am installing this floor myself without the help of my husband. I need to do it perfectly, so no comments will be made. I have a miter saw and nail gun so that part will be very easy for the quarter round. Should I go out and purchase a deadhead mallet and tapping block at Lowes? I appreciate your help in this matter.
 
#43 ·
A tapping block can be a simple 8" peice of 2X4. You put it against the edge of the flooring and tap the other side of the block. It protects the edge of the finished flooring from you hammering directly on it. They also sell plastic versions which fit the toungue and seem to offer even better protection.
 
#44 ·
Bruce Lock n Fold

Zel, Did you have trouble installing the last row of engineered hardwood? I'm installing the 3/8 Sangria Cherry and it is 5 inches wide. I read the directions on Bruce's site and it said to measure the width of the room and allow for 1/2 inch expansion for each side. Here's my problem. The width of the room is 10 feet 10 1/4 inches. Should I just get rid of the tongue on the 1st and last rows to have enough room for expansion?
 
#47 ·
I'm installing my lock and fold hardwood floor this saturday and I have a question. Understanding that it is a floating floor, would there be an advantage (or disadvantage to nailing down just the first row?
I think this would be a disadvantage. This is a floating floor that is supposed to freely expand and contract, providing the recommended expansion spaces have been met. If you nail down any of the rows, especially the beginning or end rows, the floor isn't going to be able to move as it should. Therefore you may have problems (buckling etc) later on when the floor needs to expand but can't.

You should use spacers during installation between the first row and the wall. This will prevent any movement when you install the rest of the rows.
 
#46 ·
nailing lock n fold

I haven't installed my floor yet, but all of the information that I have read says not to nail the floor down. It said that you should leave space between the wall and the hardwood the thickness of the hardwood planks that you have. They used pieces of the wood as a shim between the wall and the 1st row of hardwood. They also used it to shim the sides.
 
#50 ·
This stuff looks good.... and I'm thinking about using it.

However, since it isn't glued or nailed down I'm concerned it will move/sink/make noise when walked on. I've walked on some laminate floors that do that and it is super annyoing and sounds cheap.

Does this feel/sound just like a real nailed/glued hardwood floor or does it make noise and move when you walk on it?

Thanks
 
#51 ·
The Bruce is not laminate, it's engineered hardwood. You put down a 3 ply underlayment that keeps the floor very quiet. The floor doesn't shift because you have each board locked into each other and the quarter round holds it in place. I didn't remove my baseboards I just left a 3/16 gap around the room. Once the floor was completed I just added quarter round to the baseboards in the same color. The floor looks and feels like real hardwood that has been nailed down. I have real hardwood in the rest of my house that was nailed onto a wood subfloor,sanded and stained and sealed in the house. It took forever and the house was a mess. We don't have a basement and the foundation is cement. The Bruce was completed in 2 days and is really good looking and doesn't make clicking sounds. I did most of the work and my husband started to help at the end when he saw how easy it was to install and how good it looked. It was my project and he was convinced that it wouldn't work out and wouldn't look good. He now wants to do the one bedroom that still has carpeting.
 
#53 ·
over tile?

I am thinking about using this product over my existing tile. What type of underlay matting should I use?

also...

The room that I want to do is actually broken up into tile and carpet. I would like the wood floor to be level and flowing over this junction. My thought was to tear up the carpet and glue plywood down so that it is level with the tile. then lay the lock and fold down over the entire room as if it were one homogeneous floor.

does anyone think this will end up like crap? sould I take the time to rip up the tile and level out the concrete underneath?

thanks
 
#54 ·
Mike and talented DIY Lock and Fold installers,

Would love your advice. We're needing about 1700 sq ft installed in our house. My husband thought about attempting it, but takes care of our girls so decided to bid it to professionals. Since Bruce Lock & Fold seems easier to install than traditional glue-down hardwood, we're wondering how to go about getting accurate bids that reflect the time it takes to install this "easier to work" with product.

When you contract to install lock & fold, what is the rate - or range of rates - you charge per square foot?

Also, of all hardwood options, would you suggest Lock & Fold is one of the best? Anything else out there that is as easy and beautiful? Thanks so much for your time.

May the loads of unbent, perfect boards come your way ; ) :thumbsup:
 
#56 ·
Sarabou,

This is primarily a DIY site. You would benefit most with questions on how to do things on your own. When you start asking about rates for professionals, you are opening a can of worms. You may find a member that would be willing to discuss prices in private but as for posting rates, that's not what this site is about.

Also, easy, beautiful and cheap don't always combine in the same sentence! There are quality laminate snap and lock products out there but as with any material, you pay a premium price for a premium product. My best advice for you is to figure out your budget and then see what you can get within your range. If you're not happy with the materials available in your budget, save for a bit longer until you can get what you want. When people start compromising for price, that's when unhappy results can occur. Most flooring professionals will offer free estimates. Why not find 2-3 local installers and have THEM give you an idea of what it costs to get the floor you're looking at.
Or m-a-y-b-e.....let your husband try it himself????!!!!!?????
 
#55 ·
Nancy - I loved following your thread and cheered when you finally finished. Did anyone ever help you figure out how to scribe that last row of hardwood?

Congrats and good luck if you decide to do your bedroom. We have to cover a new house with this product and I wish I didn't have the full time job and intense move-in schedule - as I'd love to try to do a room by myself as well.

Must be a great feeling of accomplishment. I've always thought laying hardwood seemed as difficult as tiling a roof.
 
#57 ·
Just got done

Hi! I'm new to this but have a question. I finished our dining room with the Bruce lock and fold and it turned out great. I then went onto the family room and when we got done, I noticed a sagging part. The subfloor didn't seem too uneven and we didn't notice this sagging until we were finished. How do I fix this? It is in a major thoroughfare in our home. Do I need to peel the whole thing up and start over? I am just sick over this. My husband was very impressed with the dining room and now I feel like I let him down with the family room. Someone help!!!
 
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